Shooting Stars and Hopeful Wishing
by Zade-And-Alex
Summary: Make a wish upon a star and it comes true. Right? Alfred grew up with this belief. Ever since he was young, Arthur told him to make a wish on a star and it will come true. Alfred made his wish in hopes of it coming true in the future. But as he grew up, he found himself to be wishing for different things along the same line: He wanted Arthur to be a permanent part of his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Shooting Stars and Hopeful Wishing**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Arthur stared at the candle that stood at the edge of his desk. The flame created a dim light that reflected in his emerald eyes. He closed said eyes and sighed. By now, the whole house was quiet and everyone had gone to sleep. Francis put the boys asleep and retreated into the bedroom for he had spent the whole day working outdoors. He opened his eyes and pushed himself away from the desk. The Briton got up from the chair and grabbed the candle by its candle holder.

Letting the light guide his way, Arthur quietly crept down the hall to the boys' bedroom to check up on the little ones. He opened the door just a crack and stuck his head in. Matthew was fast asleep, bundled up in his blanket and clutching his favorite teddy bear. Alfred, however, was still awake, bouncing up and down on the bed with glee. He giggled and Arthur smiled, stepping further into the room.

"Still awake, I see," he murmured. The boy started to laugh, but Arthur put a finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet so as not to wake Matthew.

"Sorry!" Alfred responded in a hushed tone. He grinned and hopped off the bed, landing softly on the floor and running towards Arthur. "Why are you still awake? Papa already went to bed and you're still..."

"I had some papers to look over, so I had to stay up late." Arthur said softly. "However, you shouldn't be awake, young man."

The boy frowned and mumbled, "I had a bad dream... B-But I didn't want to wake anyone up!"

"A bad dream? Tsk, you didn't seem that upset when you were bouncing on the bed like a little rabbit a few seconds ago," he said, pulling the small boy into his arms. "Care to tell me what this oh so scary nightmare was about?"

"U-Uh... A ghost! There was a ghost! A really scary ghost. He had dark eyes and scary teeth and... and..." As Alfred tried to explain his made up ghost, he began to grow in fear at the thought that was appearing in his head. He started shaking in Arthur's arms and shook his head. "He's scary!" The volume of his voice raised slightly.

"Scarier than Papa France in his nightgown?" Arthur joked, patting Alfred's head soothingly. "Don't worry about it, lad, nothing can hurt you. Do you honestly believe I'd let some monster hurt my little boy?"

The dirty blond-haired boy giggled and made a face at remembering when he first saw Francis wearing his pink nightgown. The sight of his hairy legs were enough to scare Arthur, Alfred, and Matthew all together. Especially Matthew, though. The poor boy feared that a monster was attacking Francis' legs.

"I know you won't let anything attack me." Alfred said with a smile, cuddling up to his guardian. "You always protect me and you're always there for me."

"Good," Arthur replied, hugging him. "Now, how about you and I go for a walk before bed?"

"But you always get angry at me for walking outside at night..."

"But this time you'll be with me, so it's alright. Just once wouldn't hurt," Arthur said conspiratorially. "So what do you say, hm?"

The boy's eyes shined brightly as his sense of adventure sparked. "That'll be great! Let's go!" Alfred squirmed out of Arthur's arms and rushed to the side of his bed to get his shoes. He was excited that he actually got the chance to explore outside. With Arthur, no less! After putting on his shoes, he sprinted back to Arthur and grinned up at him. "Ready to go!"

Arthur smiled and held his hand out, which the boy eagerly took. Hand in hand, the two went outside into the dark, open night. Arthur left the candle inside, knowing the area well enough to navigate on his own.

Despite being in Arthur's company, the smaller male felt a chill travel up his spine as they walked in the dark. He held onto Arthur's hand tightly and made sure to stay as close as him as possible. Feeling Alfred's presence closer than usual, he stopped walking and looked down at him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"N-No!" Alfred said quickly, his voice uneasy. "Nothing's wrong! ...Where are we even going?"

"It's a surprise," Arthur told him, smiling to himself. He knew exactly where he was going; it was a secret spot the faeries had shown him a few years ago and he now frequented it at least every month. The faeries seemed to know where he was going for they giggled, dancing just ahead of him amidst the fireflies.

"If you look carefully, the faeries will show you which way to go," he said, pointing at the tiny figures lighting up the night with their dance.

Alfred became excited and looked towards where Arthur was pointing. However, instead of seeing the dancing mythical creatures he expected to see, he only saw the dimly lit forest ahead of him. "...I don't see anything."

"Look a bit harder, my boy." Arthur said gently.

"Mmm..." Alfred squinted his eyes and really concentrated. Suddenly, he saw the figures faintly moving. He gasped and smiled brightly. "I see them! I see them!" He tugged on Arthur's sleeve and pointed at them.

"Why don't you follow them?" Arthur suggested, trusting his magical friends enough not to lead the boy astray. He looked at them for confirmation and the few closest to him nodded and began tugging at young America's clothes.

"Okay!" Alfred exclaimed, breaking off into a run after the twinkling lights that guided him. Arthur chuckled and followed at a slower pace, admiring the peace of the quiet night life.

The faeries stopped dancing and started flying towards the meadow nearby. They intersected their paths as they flew and giggled, obviously showing their excitement at having a new guest. They paused momentarily before squeezing through the wall of grass that Arthur always had to pull apart manually for him to get past it. Alfred stopped in front of the tall grass and frowned. Arthur finally caught up to Alfred, breathing deeply

"What's wrong, Alfred?" The Briton asked curiously.

"They went through the grass..."

"Oh, don't fret," Arthur said. He smoothly parted the grass just enough for Alfred to wiggle through. Once the boy was off chasing after the faeries again, he followed suit, letting the tall grass close behind him.

The faeries decided to fly higher in the air and began to circle around as they started a new dance. Alfred stopped in his place near the middle of the meadow and looked up in pure awe. Along with the sight of the faeries radiating colourful lights, the stars in the sky could be seen brightly and the moon glowed softly. The scene displayed in front of the young boy was absolutely breathtaking and made Arthur smile in content. He was happy to see Alfred was captured by the small show his friends were putting before him and enjoyed it himself as well.

Moments later, the faeries gave a bow and flew in different directions to leave Alfred and Arthur alone in the silence under the moon and stars.

"That was... That was so awesome!" Alfred breathed and smiled. "Did you see their colours?! And the stars looked so pretty behind them!" He looked up to the sky again, repeating what had just happened in his head.

"I saw them," Arthur said, smiling. It was the first time Alfred had actually seen the faeries. He couldn't help the feeling of happiness and pride blooming in his chest at the knowledge that someday Alfred would also be a friend and ally of all magical creatures, like himself.

He lay down on the soft grass and patted the spot beside him. "Come, let's look at the stars," he said. Alfred complied, coming over and plopping down next to his caretaker. He lay back and grinned. They stayed in that position for a few minutes, gazing at the twinkling wonder that was the sky.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alfred noticed something bright. He turned his head and gasped as he saw a shooting star glide across the sky. "Arthur! What is that?!" The American boy pointed at the star and followed it with his finger.

"Hm?" Arthur glanced over to where he was pointing and smiled. "It's a shooting star. If you ever see one, you close your eyes and make a wish. Then it will come true."

"Really?!"

A nod was given in response to the question. "Yes, now close your eyes and make a wish."

"Can I wish for anything?"

"Anything you want."

"Hmmm..." Alfred closed his eyes and thought for a few seconds about what he wanted to wish for. To grow up to be an awesome person like Arthur? For Francis to finally shave his leg hair? To make sure his brother doesn't get left behind somewhere like always? Within seconds, he created a list but he was sure one shooting star wouldn't grant him all of them. Thus, he narrowed it down and thought of the one thing he truly wanted.

"_I wish I can always be with Arthur no matter what._"

Once he was done, he opened his eyes and smiled up at Arthur, who was watching him with a tender smile.

"Did you make your wish?" the Brit asked, ruffling his hair fondly. Alfred nodded.

"Yep! I sure did!"

Arthur stood and brushed the dirt off his pants. He held his hand out to the young boy, who took it. "Let's go home," he said.

The two of them traveled through the dark once more to return to their house. Alfred began to fall asleep as they walked and slowed down his pace. Noticing this, Arthur picked him up and walked the rest of the way with him in his arms. Alfred cuddled against his guardian as he did so. When they entered the house, Arthur walked to the boys' room and placed Alfred in his bed. He took off Alfred's shoes and placed them on the floor before drawing his covers over his tiny body.

"Goodnight, Alfred." Arthur said softly as he planted a light kiss on top of Alfred's forehead.

In response, the blue-eyed boy yawned and mumbled a goodnight.

Arthur smiled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"...I hope shooting stars always come true. I want to be with Arthur forever..." Alfred mumbled to himself before drifting away in a state of deep slumber for the night.

* * *

**Alexandria: Heeeey guys... Lookie here, its our first (technically second...) fic! Finally found something to write about and here it is!  
**

**Zade: ...Took us long enough huh? Well, we're sorry for the wait, but we are very pleased to present you guys with this! We're actually on top of this one so you don't have to worry about it ending up like... another fic of ours we don't speak of. Anyhow, review and let us know what you think of this one~**

**Alexandria: Seriously... Guys, review. Reviews give us motivation! :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Shooting Stars and Hopeful Wishing**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Years later, the pre-teen American laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He crossed his arms behind his head and sighed as he examined the pattern of the wood. Lately, he found it hard to fall asleep and nothing really did the trick. So he spent most nights awake, to which he regretted in the morning. Alfred turned his head to face his brother and asked, "Mattie...? You awake...?"

Matthew rolled over in bed, lazily facing Alfred. "What..?" he asked, not opening his eyes. He had already grown accustomed to Alfred's late night wake up calls.

"I can't sleep..." He mumbled.

Matthew sighed and knew this very well. Why else would Alfred be awake and trying to get his attention. "I know, Alfred. Did you try counting sheep or getting some warm milk?"

"Yeah. Nothing worked."

"Of course not... Well, do you want me to stay up with you again?" he asked kindly. Alfred nodded.

"Yeah- well, actually, I was hoping you'd take a walk with me," he said, sitting up in bed. He looked at Matthew hopefully.

Matthew raised an eyebrow and snuggled under his blanket. "Really, Al? At this time? ...They'll get angry at us, mama and papa..."

"Not as long as we don't get caught. Come on, it'll be fun." said Alfred as he got off the bed and began looking for his shoes.

Matthew stood silent for a few seconds before giving in to Alfred's logic. He shifted around to untangle himself from the bedsheets and get off the bed. Alfred grinned victoriously as he saw Matthew began looking under the bed for his shoes.

"Thanks Mattie." Alfred said softly.

Matthew nodded and mumbled a "You're welcome, Alfie."

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Together, the two slipped quietly out of the house and into the quiet night. Unlike Arthur or Francis, the boys didn't know the area as well, so Matthew had been smart enough to grab a lantern before they left the house. Alfred now took it from his brother's hand and used it to light their way.

The wet grass squished ever so slightly underfoot and they clumsily made their way across the wide front yard. Alfred looked around and suddenly felt himself began to panic for he wasn't really paying attention when Arthur was guiding him. He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and took a chance, beginning to walk towards the lake. Matthew followed him closely, having no idea that they were going in the wrong direction. Alfred took slow and careful steps until he became comfortable and confident with his sense of direction. He walked at normal pace and looked around.

"...Something's not right." He said to mostly himself.

"What was that?" Matthew asked.

"Nothing. It was nothing." the young American stopped walking and looked around. Instead of seeing the dull path of pressed grass and a wall of tall grass, he found them to be surrounded by tall trees with long leaves that draped down to the ground. "I think we're lost."

"L-Lost?!" Matthew exclaimed but it sounded just above a whisper.

"Heh, oops?" Alfred looked around again and bit his lower lip, feeling the fear beginning to take over.

"Alfred! How did you get us lost?!"

"Uh... I don't know! I could have sworn it was this way! Let's just keep walking."

"But-"

Before Matthew could finish, Alfred was already walking towards the lake once more. The Canadian shook his head and sprinted after his twin, keeping close to him once more.

"I think we should just turn back now, Al," Matthew insisted nervously, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

Alfred knew that Matthew was probably right, but he was determined to go to that magical field again. He wanted Mattie to see the same glowing lights he had, and to wish upon a shooting star. He wanted to experience that special place again, but it seemed all he had succeeded in doing was getting them lost. He sniffled, wiped at his nose with his sleeve and marched on, determined to ignore the cold beginning to creep in through his thin night clothes.

Time passed, and minutes soon piled up into nearly an hour of wandering. The air was chilly and the boys were weary. Even the restless Alfred was just about ready to drop. It was nothing at all like the walk he had taken with Arthur, and Alfred couldn't help the disappointed feeling rising in his chest along with the panic.

"I know it has to be around here..." Alfred said in a small voice. "It just has to..."

"Let's just go home. We can try looking for the place in the morning if you want." Matthew said softly, putting an arm around his brother.

"Okay. Let's go before Arthur catches us out of bed."

Matthew nodded and the two turned around. Both froze in place when they found their guardian standing there, arms crossed over his chest and a scowl upon his face.

"Just what are you two doing out here?" Arthur asked.

The twins stood silent as they looked away from him and directed their stare to the ground, ready to be punished. The Briton's expression softened and he sighed.

"You two should have told me you wanted to go for a walk... I would have came out with you. It's dangerous out here, you could have been hurt."

"We're sorry." They whispered.

"Its fine. Now let me ask you two this... Just what are you doing by the lake anyway?"

Matthew turned his head slightly to look at Alfred. Alfred glanced back at him before looking up at Arthur and telling him, "I wanted to show Matthew that place you showed me. You know, where we saw the stars and the faeries."

Arthur blinked. "You mean Stardust Field? Well, why didn't you just say so, Alfred? I could have taken you both there."

"I couldn't sleep and you were asleep and I thought I could remember the way, so I figured it would be alright if I took Mattie myself..." Alfred said, his voice trailing off as he spoke.

Arthur tutted and shook his head, taking the lantern from him. "It's late, but... Are you boys still set on seeing the field?" he asked. He studied the boys. While they had both been dead on their feet before, they now glowed with a childish excitement that kept one up all night in eager anticipation.

"Let us go then. You actually were not too far off, Alfred. But it is still quite a walk." Arthur said, beginning to walk.

The boys quickly caught up and walked on each side. Matthew smiled softly and stood silent, whereas Alfred was grinning happily and said, "Really? Then maybe you should take me more often so I can remember it!"

"Now, now, don't get too hasty. Don't make this a habit of going out almost every night. Growing boys need their sleep too, you know." He looked at both of them for a second.

"Aw come on! I can sleep during the day!"

"Do you think mama would let you do that, Al...?" Matthew asked in a very light voice.

Alfred barely heard Matthew and had to try to make out the words in his head before responding with, "Sure! Right?" He looked up at Arthur, only to get a shake of the head in return.

Soon, Arthur was parting the tall grass and letting the two boys slip through to open space after it. Together the trio trod onward, not stopping until they were in the center of the magical place Arthur had told them was called Stardust Field.

Alfred looked around, but the only glowing specks he could see were the dim fireflies. "Where are the faeries?" he asked, starting to feel disappointed again. Right next to him, Matthew was glancing around too in search of the otherworldly beings.

"Didn't I tell you last time, Alfred? You have to look harder. You boys need to believe. It is your faith in them that burns the brightest," Arthur told them knowingly. He looked up and smiled, obviously aware of the faeries' presence.

Alfred squinted, forcing his body to see what his heart knew was there. A second passed, then another and- "Oh!" he cried, whirling around to take in all the twinkling beings around them. "I see them!"

"Me too!" Matthew gasped. The boys looked around in wonder as the faeries performed their nightly air routine. They twirled and spun, sprinkling the sky with their multi-colored auras. Arthur gazed at the whole thing, nodding proudly.

The faeries giggled as they performed once more. They truly were happy to be seen because not many people can see them to begin with. Two faeries removed themselves from the group and came up to each of the twins. They each gave a peck to their cheeks as if saying "thank you" before returning to the others. Alfred and Matthew continued to smile and watched as the faeries finished their dance and disappear.

"Amazing," the boys whispered in unison.

Arthur nodded and smiled as he saw the boys captured in awe. "Beautiful. I know. They love putting on a show for their guests. Especially you two."

"Really?" Matthew asked quietly.

Arthur was about to answer when Alfred cut him off. The American flailed his arm around as he pointed to the sky. "Look! Shooting stars!"

Matthew looked to where his brother pointed and gasped. "W-Wow!"

"Make a wish boys."

"Huh?" Matthew blinked out of confusion.

Alfred leaned against Matthew's arm and said, "Arthur said that when you wish upon a shooting star, your wish will come true!"

"Really? Is that true, mama?"

Arthur nodded, "Yes it is. Now make a wish before the stars go away."

"Okay!" The two said in unison.

Alfred closed his eyes and allowed his tongue to poke out from between his lips. "Hmmm..." He sounded, thinking once more what to wish for. He opened one eye and looked at Arthur before closing it and thinking, 'I wish to be with Arthur for the rest of my life.'

Next to him, Matthew was making a wish of his own. He spent the first few seconds with eyes closed, thinking of what exactly to wish. Alfred did always go on about... what did he call them? Superpowers? Matthew really considered it and almost wished to be invisible. But he shook his head. The Canadian thought about everything that was important. He found himself to be thinking of a certain French male. A simple wish was made, but it was one that meant the world to him.

'I wish to be invisible... but not to Francis. I want him to be the only one that can still see me even after I gain my new power.'

Alfred and Matthew opened their eyes and looked at Arthur with wide smiles.

"Ready to go?" He asked. They both nodded and yawned in unison. Arthur found the scene to be too cute and smiled. "Let's go then. Before Francis wakes up and thinks a bear ate us again."

* * *

**Alex: Hey guys~ Sorry for the late update, but we saw that the story wasn't getting any reviews so we kinda felt disheartened by that... But we're going to keep on updating! Hope you guys like this chapter and please review. It gives us motivation~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Shooting Stars and Hopeful Wishing**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"Sir, the British troops have just broken through the fort..." one of the soldiers announced as he entered Alfred's tent.

Alfred looked up from his desk and stared at the man, trying to process his words. After a few seconds, he asked, "...Is he here as well?"

The soldier nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Very well. Thank you. Order the men to line up and keep guard. We must not let them get to the heart of the fort. What has Washington said?"

"He told us to do the very same thing."

"Alright. Now go."

The soldier nodded and gave a salute before walking out of the tent and running to tell the other men their orders. Alfred sighed deeply as the ache in his chest began to double.

"He's here." He mumbled to himself, getting up from his chair and walking towards the exit of his tent. Alfred grabbed his rifle and braced himself for what was about to unfold.

Meanwhile, near the entrance of the fort, Arthur stood ahead of his men to lead them. He stood stoic and proud, his face a hard expression of weariness and severe disapproval. As he led his troops in a steady march, his heart felt as dismal as the grey sky overhead. He looked at neither his commander nor his soldiers, focusing straight ahead, waiting until the colonists came into view.

They didn't get very far before they came to a blockade of colonists, blocking further access to the interior of the fort. Arthur mechanically got down on one knee and began to fire, hearing his soldiers' gunshots as the echoes of his own. All around him, people rushed into combat, roaring as they attacked. Somehow, whether through survival instinct or pure experience, Arthur evaded and incapacitated any fool who was unfortunate enough to come his way.

They were doing well; the bodies of the colonists dropped one by one like flies and the British were slowly making ground. If they continued like this, they could easily claim the fort. For the first time since he had stepped foot on the battlefield, Arthur felt hope blossom in his heart.

Then the rest of the troops arrived.

"Charge, men! Don't let them take the fort! Show them that we will have our independence!"

Arthur's heart froze and just like that, the hope in his chest was crushed as he recognized the voice.

There he was, Alfred F. Jones, shouting out orders and running into the chaos with the rest of his men. He fought as fiercely, if not more so, than every single one of them. One by one, the British numbers began to drop.

Arthur froze for the moment as everything around him seem to slow down. He saw his men drop to the ground and saw Alfred fighting his way through. For a second they locked eyes. Though his expression was cold, his cerulean eyes held deep sadness. The Briton snapped back to his current time and grabbed his rifle tightly. He charged toward Alfred but was stopped when one of the colonists grabbed him from behind.

"LET ME GO!" Arthur shouted, hitting the man in the chest with the butt of his weapon. Alfred looked at the two and bit his lip, trying not to tell the colonist to let him go. Instead, he continued to fight through the rest of the British troops and loyalists, stabbing, shooting, and fighting with his fists till they each dropped one by one. From a far, both Arthur and Alfred could hear George Washington give the order for the Americans to line up on one side. The male that kept his hold of Arthur dropped him and ran into formation along with the other men. Soon, it could be see that the only red coat left alive was none other than Arthur Kirkland himself.

Arthur stared at the ground as he was on his knees from being dropped. His breath was broken between deep gasps and shaky exhalation. He looked up and saw all the men standing across from him. Each had a look of malice and glared at him. But Arthur wasn't concerned with them. Instead, he focused on the two men standing in front of the troop. Alfred F. Jones and his general, George Washington.

Washington lifted his hand and shouted, "MEN! RAISE!"

At this, the men raised their firearms.

"AIM!"

The men aimed their guns to point at Arthur. Arthur didn't move. He continued to stare at the two head leaders, but soon it changed to one when Alfred became his center of attention.

"FI-"

"Wait." Alfred said, trying to keep his voice steady but heard it shook.

"What is it?" Washington asked, looking at Alfred.

Alfred did not answer his commanding officer. He walked forward and approached Arthur. "Get up." He told him.

Arthur looked up and stared at his colony. However, he did not listen to the order given.

"Get. Up." The American said, gritting his teeth.

Slowly, Arthur forced himself up from the ground. Despite standing at full height, he still had to look up at Alfred. This caused pain to course through both of them.

Alfred hesitantly lifted his rifle and point it at Arthur. "Give me my freedom, _England._" He said roughly.

"No." Arthur replied. His voice sounded much stronger than he felt. How had things come to this?

"Damn it, England, give me my independence!" Alfred roared, tightening his grip on his weapon. He felt dangerously close to breaking. All he wanted was his freedom, and if Arthur didn't love him enough to give it to him, then he would take it through whatever means necessary.

"I said NO, you ungrateful little brat!" England hissed. How could Alfred look at him like that? Like it was all his fault? His eyes burned and when the thunder rumbled overhead, it took him a moment to realize that it was the sound of the weather and not of his heart shattering. "After all I've done for you, you think you can just revolt like this? I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!"

"You don't have any choice!" Alfred shouted back, frustrated. "Why can't you see that this is the best thing for both of us?" He took a small step forward, towering over Arthur. He stood firm and unrelenting, wishing that Arthur would just make things a little easier for him this once.

"I can't just give you your freedom... America..." Arthur said, keeping his ground.

"Why _not_?!"

"_It's not that easy to let go of someone I love!_" Arthur finally shouted, admitting to why he couldn't let go of his colony.

Taken by surprise, Alfred took a step back and looked at his caretaker with wide eyes. "W-What...?"

"You're my little brother, I just can't let you go."

At hearing Arthur call him his little brother, Alfred grit his teeth. A mix of emotions ran through him as he stepped back a bit more. "No..."

"Alfred..." Arthur tried to reach out to him.

"No!" Alfred aimed his rifle again. "Let me go, England!" He shouted.

"I will not!" Arthur shouted in return, picking up his own rifle and aiming it at Alfred.

"Give me liberty or give me death!"

"I'm afraid I will have to chose the latter... I rather have you die my brother than have you be free from me!"

The two charged at each other with a battle cry from each end. Alfred moved quickly and turned his weapon to use as a small shield as the end of Arthur's weapon collided with it. The force of the collision was so much that it drove Arthur's weapon out of his hand and caused him to lose balance. Arthur dropped to his knees again.

The rain began to fall and not much later the two were beginning to be drenched with the water. Arthur brought a hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes as he felt them sting with tears. Alfred looked down at him and said, "You used to be so big, Arthur... You were so strong. What happened to you?"

Arthur didn't respond. Instead, he continued rubbing his eyes. But it was worthless because tears flowed from his eyes nonetheless.

"This is not the end, Arthur." Alfred warned. He turned around and walked back to the men. "Let him go for now."

"But sir-" One of the men called out but was silenced by a raise of Washington's hand. He knew the situation between Alfred and Arthur and was doing what was best for both his people and his country.

"Listen to him. Let him go. Retreat to the fort." Washington ordered. He looked at Alfred with concerned eyes before looking at Arthur.

The personification was still kneeling on the ground, crying. The rain mixed with his tears and ran quickly down his cheeks. "Alfred... Don't do this..." He choked.

"Leave!" Alfred shouted, not turning around to face his former caretaker. He walked past Washington and retreated with the other men. Washington soon retreated behind him as well, leaving Arthur along on the outside of the fort.

A year after the day Alfred won his independence, he adapted the day as his birthday. Naturally, he made a big show of it and made sure everyone knew. It was his first birthday and it excited him. But more than anything, it also pained him. As he watched his people celebrating their nation's birthday that night, he looked away. The last thing he wanted to do was to leave the one person he cared most about, but he had no other choice.

"You're still thinking about him, aren't you?"

Alfred didn't look up. He recognized the voice of his leader. Washington sat down beside him on the picnic blanket and stared up at the night sky. The American general felt the need to console his country as much as he could at this point, so he tried to offer an ear and words of advice.

"I just can't help it. He just... I know we did the right thing, I just know it. But his face..." Alfred squeezed his eyes shut, but to no avail. All he saw behind his closed lids was Arthur's pained expression in the fort exactly one year ago.

Washington sighed. He still didn't quite understand how to deal with Alfred as both a country and a young man. "It was for the best. You would only get tangled up with that mess in Europe and you don't need that, boy. You have to remember how many colonies England really has," he explained with a frown. Weren't things complicated enough with politics and the economy? Adding the hearts and feelings of the nations to the mix only made things infinitely worse.

Alfred brushed his bangs back with his fingers and sighed deeply. "Washington... I don't know if I can make it without him though. He was my support."

"Now, now, are you doubting yourself? Alfred, you'll be fine."

"And you have me!" A rough voice spoke from behind Alfred. Alfred jumped a bit and turned around to see a familiar silver-haired male with blood red eyes.

"Gilbert, you're still here? I thought you left already." The American country asked, getting up from where he was seated.

"I was going to leave but your general asked me to stay and help around." Gilbert grinned.

The blond glanced at Washington and Washington nodded. "I knew it was going to be hard for you, and Gilbert has helped us train the men. I figured he can help you start the country and stay protected."

"Really? ...Thank you, general Washington." Alfred smiled.

"I also convinced Francis to help. But he might not get to us till later on." Gilbert added.

"Right, okay. Thanks."

The albino walked over to Alfred and gave his back a rough pat. "You'll be fine, Al. Now are you going to sit around and mope or are you going to enjoy your night?"

"I think I'll enjoy it."

"Good! Now come on!"

"...You go on into town without me. I have to take care of something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Just go, okay?"

Gilbert and Washington exchanged knowing glances and nodded before walking away towards the direction of the town. Alfred turned to the opposite direction and began walking. He put his hands in his pockets and dragged his feet as he walked to a location unknown to himself. When he looked up, he paused and noticed there was a strange yellow light in the distance. Alfred squinted his eyes to try to get a better look and walked towards it. The small ball of light flickered a few times before darting away. Acting upon impulse, Alfred ran toward the light to follow it. A few times he thought he lost it but it would fly by him and he would begin to follow it again.

The light eventually stopped and Alfred caught up with it. He panted to try to catch his breath and looked at the light. It flickered a few times before flying around in a circle happily. The blond raised an eyebrow at this and took a step closer. The light stopped for a few seconds before flying up toward the sky at a quick speed. Within a matter of seconds, it was completely out of sight and Alfred was left to stare at the sky. The stars seemed to captivate him with how many they were.

"There's more stars out here than back at..." His words melted in his mouth as he didn't dare to finish. "I never really noticed them."

He continued to gaze at the twinkling night sky, feeling a strange emotion creep up on him. He couldn't quite grasp it at first so he settled for blinking up at the stars, hoping that their ethereal light would illuminate the feeling that was beginning to leave an ache in his chest. His brow furrowed and he wasn't sure why, but one word seemed to be right on the tip of his tongue. As he thought about it more, a streak of light flashed across the sky.

Alfred gasped at the shooting star and then sighed. "Arthur..." Yes, that was it. That one name summed up everything he was feeling. More than that, it seemed to sum up perfectly what he truly longed for.

"Arthur," he repeated, letting his eyes fall shut. He let the intangible feelings brewing in his chest bubble up into a voiced wish.

"I wish that someday Arthur and I will be together again... so that we won't have to feel this pain anymore."

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**Alex: We're finally keeping things on track~ Woot!**

**Zade: Yep! So now we would like to thank the people that reviewed and also thank the people that favorite and follow our fics. But please review as well! Seeing reviews and knowing what you guys think makes us happier than America in a McDonald's play room!**


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